Ford Focus RS

Move inside and you'll find a heavily reworked cabin, too. It features blue stripes and Sparco sports seats, plus a high quality polished alloy gearknob and handbrake. Fire up the engine with the bright green starter button, shift into first then hang on! Performance from the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine is extremely impressive.

The RS will sprint from 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds and go on to a maximum speed of 144mph. Once the turbo has spooled up, thrust is impressive in any gear. Overtaking safely couldn't be easier - it's just a shame that there isn't a sixth ratio for more relaxed cruising. The gearbox itself is a joy, with a heavier motion than in the standard Focus, and a precise, machined feel. And the same can be said for the excellent steering, which offers plenty of feedback and great control.

Nobody can question the chassis dynamics of the flagship performance Ford, but undulations in the road can sometimes cause the Focus to tramline away from your desired direction of travel. However, drivers will soon get used to the set-up, and the levels of grip available in both the wet and the dry are truly astonishing.

So what does all this cost? In this company, the RS is a snip at ΂£19,995. But compare that to other hot hatches on the market and it doesn't look quite so cheap. Honda's Civic Type R weighs in at ΂£15,995, yet the Ford can match the thrills and the pace of much more expensive rivals - just like those we have assembled here.

With the Focus RS, the blue oval has created the best front-wheel-drive hot hatch around. It offers thunderous point-to-point pace, WRC styling and a great price - what more could we ask?